Pipeline viscosimeter



y 1, 1956 H. GAMLEN 2,743,605

PIPELINE VISCOSIMETER Filed April 26. 1954 INVENTOR. HARRY GAMLEN ww gaw A TTOR/VEYS United States Patent PIPELINE VISCOSIMETER Harry Gamlen,San Francisco, Calif., assiguor to Gamlen Chemical Company, SanFrancisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 26,1954, Serial No. 425,687

2 Claims. (Cl. 73-55) This invention relates to a viscosimeter means foroil burning furnaces and engines, and more particularly to aviscosimeter device adapted to be embodied in the oil line leading to afurnace or engine to enable quick and convenient checking of theviscosity of the oil.

The burner elements of oil burning furnaces, such as those employed forthe burning of bunker fuel on seagoing vessels, are designed to operateat a maximum efiiciency when the fuel oil has a viscosity ofapproximately 150 Saybolt Seconds Universal, and it is the objective ofoperators of such oil burning equipment to sufficiently pre-heat thefuel oil so that it will reach the burners at this desired viscosityvalue.

The essential object of the present invention is to provide a deviceoperating on viscosirnetric principles which may be connected directlyand permanently into the oil supply line of a furnace or engine toenable a quick and accurate checking at any time of the viscosity of thefuel oil and thereby enable the obtaining of data for the proper controlof the temperature of the oil.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the drawing forming partof this specification, and in which:

Figure l is a View in vertical section of the apparatus of theinvention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail View in section of the measuring orificeportion of said apparatus;

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the upper, or operative, portion of theapparatus of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a view taken along lines 44 of Figure 1 showing the lower,or auxiliary, portion of said apparatus.

With reference to the drawing, the apparatus comprises a horizontallydisposed conduit portion defining therein passageway portions 12 and 14,a vertically disposed cylindrical cup portion 16 having its lower end 18integral with the under wall of conduit portion 10, and annular wallportion 18 integral with both the upper wall of conduit portion 19 andthe upper end of cup 16 and defining with the cylindrical wall of cup 16an annular chamber 20 which is in flow communication with conduitportions 12 and 14. Conduit portion 10 is provided with end flanges 22for connection with end flanges 24 of fuel oil supply line sections 26.

A passageway 28 extends through the lower end 13 of cup 16 andcommunicates through orifice member 30 with a larger diametralpassageway 32 defined within boss 34 which depends from and is integralwith the under wall of conduit portion 10. A cork 36 removably fittedwithin boss 34 serves to close the lower end of passageway 32.

Threadably connected to boss 38 formed on the upper wall of conduitportion 10, and communicating through passageway 40 with passagewayportion 12, is a control valve 42, the upper end of which communicatesthrough flexible tube 44 with the interior of cup 16.

The lower, or auxiliary, part of the apparatus comprises a tray-likemember 46 which is connected to con- 2,743,605 Patented May 1, 1956 duitportion 10, as by hanger rods 48. And upstanding ring 50 formed on saidtray serves to position an open top container, such as flask 52, influid receiving relation with passageway 32. r

The described apparatus is used from time to time, or as desired, by theoperator of the oil burning equipment fed by a line 26 to determinewhether the oil is being fed to the equipment at the desired temperatureof pre-heat. With cork 36 in place, a test is conducted by opening valve42 to allow oil to pass into cup 16 from passageway por tion 12. Whenthe oil level within the cup reaches the level of the internal shoulder54 defined therein, valve 42 is closed. The volumetric space above cork36 and up to shoulder 54 is a known and pre-selected quantity, such as240 milliliters. Likewise, the diameter of the orifice of member 30 isof a predetermined size, i. e. such as to allow the oil within cup 16 topass therethrough in approximately 60 seconds when the oil is at thedesired viscosity of Saybolt Seconds Universal.

When the cup 16 has been filled to the desired level and valve 42 hasbeen turned oil, cork 36 is removed and the length of time required forthe oil to pass through the orifice and into the receiving flask 52 ismeasured by an appropriate timing device. If the time period required isless than 60 seconds, the operator is thereby informed that the pre-heattemperature of the oil is too high and the pre-heater means is adjustedaccordingly. If the period of time required for the cup to empty isgreater than 60 seconds, the operator is thereby informed thatpre-heating of the oil must be increased to bring the oil to the desiredviscosity rating of 150 Saybolt Seconds Universal.

It will be appreciated that the testing of the viscosity condition ofthe oil can be performed very rapidly, being limited only by the totaltime required to fill the cup to the desired level and to then empty thecup. There is no need to adjust the temperature of the oil within thecup, and in fact this oil is maintained throughout the test run at thesame temperature condition at which it existed before removal from theoil supply line proper due to the similar temperature condition of theoil occupying and passing through annular chamber 20 in surroundingrelation to the cup.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple and eflicient fuel oilviscosity measuring device is provided by the apparatus of theinvention. While a single embodiment of the invention has beenillustrated and described, it is to be understood that all substantialequivalents thereof are considered to be within the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A device of the type described for oil burning apparatus comprising afuel oil supply line, a cuplike container of predetermined volume, adischarge orifice of predetermined size for said container, plug meansand means removably disposing the same in blocking relation with saidorifice, first conduit means interconnecting adjacent sections of saidsupply line including means for constraining oil moving therethrough topass in surrounding relation With said container, second conduit meansadapted to introduce oil into said container from said first conduitmeans, and a valve forming part of said second conduit means to controlthe flow of oil from said first conduit means into said container.

2. A device of the type described for oil burning apparatus comprising afuel oil supply line, a cup-like container, a discharge orifice in thelower end thereof, closure means and means removably disposing the samein closing relation with said orifice, means for introducing oil intosaid container from said supply line, and means constraining at least aportion of the oil moving through said supply line to pass around saidcon- 3 tainer'in heat-transfer relation therewith, "whereby o'il withinsaid container will be maintained at substantially thesametemperaturvasthat *ofthe 'oihfiowirxg through said supply line.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED :STATES PATENTS1,132,621 Saybolt Mar. 23, 1 915 '4 Smoot Apr. 21, 1925 Smith Jan. 3,1928 'Powis Aug. 27, 1935 Boyle Oct. 23, 1951 Kalle June 3, 1952 FOREIGNPATENTS Germanyv M Dec. 4, 1952

1. A DEVICE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED FOR OIL BURNING APPARATUS COMPRISING AFUEL OIL SUPPLY LINE, A CUP-LIKE CONTAINER OF PREDETERMINED VOLUME, ADISCHARGE ORIFICE OF PREDETERMINED SIZE FOR SAID CONTAINER, PLUG MEANSAND MEANS REMOVABLY DISPOSING THE SAME IN BLOCKING RELATION WITH SAIDORIFICE, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS INTERCONNECTING ADJACENT SECTIONS OF SAIDSUPPLY LINE INCLUDING MEANS FOR CONSTRAINING OIL MOVING THERETHROUGH TOPASS IN SURROUNDING RELATION WITH SAID CONTAINER, SECOND CONDUIT MEANSADAPTED TO INTRODUCE OIL INTO SAID CONTAINER FROM SAID FIRST CONDUITMEANS, AND A VALVE FORMING PART OF SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS TO CONTROLTHE FLOW OF OIL FROM SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS INTO SAID CONTAINER.